Shua Dawn

To view this content, you must be a member of Joshua’s Patreon at $3 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

To view this content, you must be a member of Joshua’s Patreon at $3 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

To view this content, you must be a member of Joshua’s Patreon at $3 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

To view this content, you must be a member of Joshua’s Patreon at $3 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

To view this content, you must be a member of Joshua’s Patreon at $3 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

To view this content, you must be a member of Joshua’s Patreon at $3 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

To view this content, you must be a member of Joshua’s Patreon at $3 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

32 Years Ago.   I look up as a cold breeze hits my face. “M-Master, where are you taking me?” I stutter from the intense cold as we hike up a snowy mountain. “Hmmm… how can I say this? It’s the same place where my master took me when I was young,” my master replies, hard lines of determination framing his features. “Why didn’t we b-bring Kai with us?” I continue to pressure my master with questions, unsure of his reasons. “Listen, Gwyneth, there are different types of people in this world and… well, Kai: he is different from us,” my master smiles. “Kai is someone who will shine above the rest without even trying. What I’m about to show you is something that only people like us can truly understand,” my master tells me, putting his hand on my shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. “So, why go so far? …I mean, what is so important up here?” I ask my master, peering down the path we climbed thus far, up Hailstorm Mountain. “The Truth,” he says and smiles. “Huh? The Truth?” I ask, disbelief and confusion vying for placement on my face. “Yes… There’s a truth to this world that nobody knows about.” He looks ahead and sees the entrance to a cave. “It’s even possible that the whole universe doesn’t know, but enough of that. We’re here.” My master and I enter the cave. “So, this is the boy you spoke of?” An unfamiliar voice calls out to us from the shadows. It sounds confident, decisive. My master gets down on one knee. “Yes, Master, this is the boy.” “What’s going on here?” I ask, the situation beginning to put me a little on edge. “The boy is very bright, and I believe he will serve you well, Master,” my own master says, continuing to bow his head. “I’ll be the judge of that,” the voice says, succinctly. “Umm… *cough*, don’t I get a say?” I clear my throat out of uncertainty while glancing about. “Silence, boy! You have no idea who you’re talking to!” My master shouts at me. “He who-” “That’s enough Adua. Hmm, your name is Gwyneth?” “Yes. Umm… I’m sorry, but I can’t see who I’m talking to…” I reply, repressing a creeped-out shudder as my eyes search the darkness for some shape. “Indeed. Now, I need you to listen. I’m giving you both an opportunity to prove yourselves.” The mysterious voice spoke of being fragmented, but what remained revealed to me certain truths that in my wildest dreams, I couldn’t even imagine. It almost felt like I had opened my eyes for the very first time; seeing the entire universe in a new light. I could tell the story was incomplete, and wanted to help write the final chapter. I understood before he said his next words what I must do. “I see. So, you lost part of your memory, making you unable to read the ancient writing,” I say, summarizing while deep in thought. “See? See, Master, what did I tell you? He is smart!” My own master seems happy for me, I think, or more likely, for himself. Either way, it does not matter to me; my new understanding makes my master’s approval irrelevant. I look around and notice the shadows shifting around the edge of the cave. “I see,” I say, my lips parting in a smile. Suddenly, I see a pair of pulsing eyes in the darkness that are locked on to mine. “You know what must be done?” The voice asks of me, coldly. I look into the shadows, my smile growing and turning sinister, “Yes, Master.” A master and an apprentice entered that cave together. Only one of them left; a changed man. As Gwyneth walked down that cold mountain, his tears were forever frozen as he left his old life behind.   Present Day   “Fukai! Pay attention, idiot. I need to know you heard me on that part,” Ramsey interrupts his plan to chastise me in an angry whisper for my wandering eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry guys, I got this,” I say, snickering back at them. “Just hurry up and die, Cinder!” Gwyn shouts, his arm trembling as he leans forward, pressing Cinder’s body further against the bruising stone wall, crushing Cinder’s throat with both his strength and his weight put behind his hold. “Like…” Cinder gargling voice trails off as he’s unable to finish his sentence. As his eyes start rolling upwards he notices me landing on the wall right above him, a manic smile on my face as I make the symbol for fire. “Like hell we’re going to make it that easy for you! Re! Flame Eaters!” My face lights up from the balls of fire I’m holding in each hand. Cinder’s eyes widen upon making eye contact with the madly grinning face of the fire ball in my left hand. “HuuUH! You lookin’ at me, PUNK?!” the fire ball in my left hand (with the flaming features of a scar across one eye, an eye on his tongue, and a bright mohawk) taunts him. “Hmm! Yes, finally! A prey befitting my skill!” the fire ball in my right hand (with slicked back hair and glasses) says with his eyes closed while nodding his head. Clearly, agreeing with himself and looking like he doesn’t need anyone else’s opinion on the matter. “Gwyyynnn!” My voice echoes through the room as I thrust off the wall. Swinging my left knee forward, I ram it into Gwyn’s face with a crack. Blood spurts from Gwyn’s nose as he slides backwards; a faint, barely-visible, red-layer shimmers across his skin. Dust swirls from the ground as I land next to Cinder with my arms pulled back ‘til my hands almost meet, “Seek out your target, Flame Eater!” I shout, before swinging my arms forward and releasing both balls of flame. “Let me at ‘im! Let me at ‘im!” The crazy one says as

8 Years Ago.   “Grandpa! Grandpa! Over here! Over here!” I call, jumping up and down with excitement. “This is it!” “Ok… *Cough!* Ok… You know, you really should slow down for me. I’m not as young as I used to be.” My grandpa tells me with a smile. “I’m sorry, Grandpa! I’m just excited to spend time with you in our favorite spot!” I say as I approach a cliff edge that overlooks Coatlicue from a distance. “Alright, alright. Let’s have a seat.” My Grandpa says while sitting down at the edge of the cliff. “Ok, Grandpa. Umm… Grandpa, have you…?” I look at Coatlicue in the distance. “Never mind.” My grandpa looks down at me and pats me on the head, “Fukai.” “Yes, Grandpa?” I say, looking up at him and smiling. “Back when I was a kid, Tiesa was a different place. To a kid like me, it was a magic-filled wonderful thing, with untapped potential.” My grandpa reminisces with a smile. “I…” He pauses, tears welling up behind his eyes with a few escaping down his face. “Grandpa, is something wrong?” “Oh… no, it’s just, I remembered something… a painful memory.” My grandpa looks over at Coatlicue. “Listen, Fukai. There is something that the people of Tiesa have forgotten… something that they were forced to forget, but I haven’t forgotten.” “Huh?” “Hahaha! I’m sorry I confused you. I guess what I was saying is that there’s a power out there that can make the impossible possible.” My grandpa points at my heart, “The feeling that comes from it, and trust me you’ll know it when the time comes, never let go of it, because it will take you on a journey that you will never forget.” “Huh?” I say flatly, but even more confused. “Hahaha! I’m sorry, Fukai… I guess what I’m saying, is that there may come a time in your life where you have to protect the things that are precious to you… and when that time comes, believe.”   Present Day   “Ohhoho!” Gwyn looks up to where I am, above him. “Gwwwyyynn!” I growl as Fiery Wolf Fist takes the form of gauntlets shaped like a wolf, its fur made of flames, and I strike down towards him. He quickly spins around, countering my Fiery Wolf Fist with a spin kick. “Young Fukai, how do you know about this power?” Gwyn’s kick connects first, sending me flying to the side. “Shit, I need to focus!” I say, twisting in mid-air to look down at Gwyn. I see Gwyn’s hands forming more symbols. I recognize the symbol for fire and what must be earth, but that third symbol… “This isn’t good.” “Compound! Flaming Vortex Cannon!” Gwyn takes aim at me, “Let’s see if you can dodge this.” “Aha!” The third symbol must be air! “Kekekeke. I am so smart.” I quickly connect my thumb and ring finger, then curl my thumb into my palm, followed by pressing my palms together, the gauntlets of Fiery Wolf Fist making a crackling noise as they meet. “Compound! Ummm… Visualize… Oh! Crimson Craft!” I look down to see a flaming metal craft materializing with a crackle right below me. As the flames solidify they take the shape of Maka’s Auracraft, some obvious differences visible. “Alright, it worked!” I shout my victory, throwing my fist in the air. “Fukai, watch out!” Anaea shouts from the distance. I focus down through the small falling embers to see Gwyn’s attack launching towards me. “Oh! Let’s see what this thing can do!” I exclaim, as it pulls to my feet with a small clap. “Alright! Here I go!” I lean forward, bursting towards Gwyn. I swifty maneuver the Crimson Craft around Gwyn’s flaming cannonball, hoping it holds together. “Yahoo! This is awesome! Kekekeke!” “Hmmm… Fukai seems to be adapting to this rather quickly…” Gwyn comments to himself while making the symbols for fire and earth as he lets the cannon et al fade away. “I don’t think so, Gwyn!” I quickly tap my toes down twice on Crimson Craft and suddenly vanish with a spark into some falling embers. “Huh?” Gwyn seems a little surprised as I reappear right behind him. “Gwwwyyynnn!” I shout as I quickly pivot my Crimson Craft towards his head. Gwyn smirks at me. “Compound! Meteor Rain!” Gwyn easily dodges me, spinning low to the ground to slam his palms down. “Huh? W… wait.” I look all around me, in awe by all of the spectacular mini-meteors in a dome-shape above me, “This is amazing! How does this work?” I say, excited while I weave my way up through the meteor rain, dodging the flaming missiles. “Hey, idiot! Focus! Gwyn is concealing himself; you need to be careful!” Ramsey shouts from the corner of the room. “Ok. Ok,” I say, unmotivated. “Stupid Ramsey, always nagging me…” I mumble. “You know, you really should listen to Ramsey,” Gwyns’s voice echoes as if it is all around me. “I do have to say though, young Fukai, you do remind me of your old man.” I look over my shoulder, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” I demand. “He was always shining above me. Just when I thought I had caught up, he somehow managed to break through his limits,” Gwyn says. “But that’s the thing about raw talent, you only need a little guidance to improve. Unfortunately for you, the gap between us is too far.” Gwyn’s voice coalesces behind me as he materializes. Quickly spinning around, I see him readying a powerful kick. I quickly flip Crimson Craft up to block his kick, but his foot hits with enough force to send me spinning end-over-end, though the Crimson Craft stays attached to my feet and my gauntlets stay attached to my hands. Flailing my arms a bit, I manage to steady myself. “Gwyn! All I hear is the ramblings of a sore loser! And from the looks of it,” I point at Gwyn, “you only